The present invention relates generally to a network telephone queuing system geared towards small and home offices.
Businesses run from small offices or home offices have telecommunications needs similar to those of larger organizations and companies. Specifically, the small office/home office (SOHO) business needs a system for answering calls and organizing callers who cannot be immediately connected.
One option is to purchase or lease, at considerable expense, separate on-site private branch exchange (PBX) equipment that allows calls to be automatically answered and placed in a local queue if no lines are currently available. PBX equipment typically answers incoming calls and routes the calls to open lines. When there are no open lines, the call is placed in a call queue and connected when a line becomes available. During the holding period, the call can be connected to an internal source of music, pre-recorded messages, or the like.
Another option is an existing form of Central Office based network queuing known as Centrex. Centrex was designed to provide services for medium to large businesses, however, and is not tariffed at a rate that a SOHO business could typically afford. Moreover, Centrex is not sized by the Local Exchange Carrier (telephone company) to support the SOHO marketplace. If a Local Exchange Carrier tried to use Centrex to address the SOHO marketplace, it would quickly run out of capacity. In order to increase the capacity of Centrex, a Local Exchange Carrier would have to negotiate with multiple central office vendors at significant expense. Moreover, Centrex is implemented and administered differently by every central office vendor.
The present invention offers an alternative to purchasing or leasing PBX equipment and Centrex. Instead, incoming calls to SOHO subscribers are handled by the Local Exchange Carrier""s existing equipment infrastructure. They are not, however, handled in the same manner as Centrex. Incoming calls can be processed in a specially equipped central office switch using advanced call control software such as, for instance, Operator Services Systems/Advanced Intelligent Network (OSSAIN) software. Callers on hold can be connected to a music source while waiting to be connected with the SOHO subscriber they have dialed. By utilizing the Local Exchange Carrier""s existing equipment infrastructure, SOHO subscribers are spared the expense and maintenance of PBX call control equipment attached to their incoming phone lines. In addition, by moving the call control elements into the existing infrastructure, subscribers need not pay for equipment and maintenance but rather pay a monthly service charge to the Local Exchange Carrier. The Local Exchange Carrier can achieve economies of scale by co-locating multiple SOHO subscribers in a single queue server and associated switch.
Network queuing for SOHO has several advantages over the Centrex alternative as well. As a new service, it could be tariffed at a rate appropriate for the SOHO market. Moreover, capacity is not an issue for SOHO network queuing. In order to increase SOHO network queuing capacity, the Local Exchange Carrier merely deploys additional network computers. Further, administration is centralized thereby reducing operation costs.
When a subscriber requests SOHO network queuing from their Local Exchange Carrier (LEC), the subscriber""s directory number is logically ported from a Local Number Portability (LNP) perspective. A Location Routing Number (LRN) is associated with the SOHO subscriber""s. directory number. The LRN is downloaded into LNP databases in the local area via the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC). If necessary, table changes are made using standard administration in local switches to add the NPA-NXX of the subscriber to the zone of portability. NPA-NXX refers to that part of a directory number corresponding to the area code and three(3) digit exchange identifying the Local Exchange Carrier""s central office.
The LRN is chosen so that it routes all incoming calls to a network telephone switch equipped with Network Queueing for SOHO hardware and software. The existing LNP infrastructure is used to intercept all calls to a SOHO subscriber and route them to a SOHO equipped network switch.
When a call is made to a SOHO subscriber, an LNP dip is done. The LNP database returns the LRN of a Network Queueing for SOHO equipped network switch and the call is intercepted and routed to that Network Queueing for SOHO equipped network switch. At the Network Queueing for SOHO equipped network switch the call is connected to a queue server. If no calls are currently in the queue for the directory number that the SOHO subscriber dialed, the queue server rings the SOHO subscriber in an attempt to connect the call. If the SOHO subscriber answers, the call is connected and the queue server drops out of the call. If there are calls in the queue for the SOHO subscriber, then the present call is placed at the end of the queue and the caller is connected to a broadcast music trunk. The queue server periodically instructs the network switch to ring the SOHO subscriber attempting to connect a queued caller.
If the SOHO subscriber""s line is busy or if there is no answer on the line, the caller is connected to a broadcast music trunk and the call is placed into the queue on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis. Likewise, the queue server periodically instructs the network switch to ring the SOHO subscriber attempting to connect a queued caller. When the SOHO subscriber answers, the caller at the top of the queue is connected and the queue server drops out of the call.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is a network telephone queuing system including a network telephone switch and a queue server associated with the switch. The switch receives all calls to a SOHO queuing system subscriber regardless of the point of origin of a call. Calls are routed to the queue server. If no calls are currently queued for a SOHO subscriber, the queue server instructs the network switch to ring the SOHO subscriber and instructs the switch to establish a connection with the subscriber upon answer. Otherwise, the queue server places the call in a queue and instructs the network switch to connect queued calls to a broadcast music trunk while on hold. The queue server attempts to call the subscriber periodically, via the network switch, and instructs the switch to connect the caller at the top of the queue with the subscriber when the SOHO subscriber finally answers the call. The queue server then drops out of the call and all queue server related resources are released including the IVR trunk.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is a method of queuing callers in a telephone network on behalf of a subscriber. Calls are routed to a specially equipped network telephone switch and associated queue server. Control of the call is given to the queue server in order to determine whether there is an open line with the subscriber. If not, the call is placed into a queue on a first-in-first-out basis. Queued calls are connected to a broadcast music trunk while on hold. The queue server periodically attempts to call the subscriber, via the network switch. When the subscriber finally answers, the queue server instructs the switch to connect the caller at the top of the queue with the subscriber. The queue server then drops out of the call.
The present invention offers several advantages. The Local Number Portability (LNP) infrastructure is utilized to allow the SOHO option to be added to any line. There is minimal network impact since LNP queries are already routinely performed. Moreover, there would be minimal interactive voice response (IVR) usage to guide callers since a thousand callers can be connected to a single broadcast music trunk. In addition, first in first out (FIFO) queuing is guaranteed.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.